The Duffer Brothers explain how Stranger Things 2 sets up Season 3

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You’ve seen Stranger Things, right? You know, the fantastic Netflix show made even better by its brand-new season season? If you haven’t, please stop what you’re doing and carve a few hours out of your week. If you have, please continue.

Spoiler warning!

The Duffer Brothers obviously hate happy endings. They were poised for one as well, with our heroes enjoying themselves at the Snow Ball. But then the camera pans away from Hawkins…and slowly rotates Upside Down. Despite the spore-filled air of the other world, we clearly saw the Mind Flayer hunkered over the school.

Uh-oh.

Season 2’s ending was very different from the Season 1 finale, which was rife with unanswered questions: What happened to Eleven? Will there be justice for Barb? And what the hell is wrong with Will?

According to ScreenRant, the Duffer Brothers say the Season 2 finale was a deliberate choice.

“Last year, we had a lot of little cliffhangers at the end of the season. We didn’t want to do that again. We didn’t want to box ourselves in for season three. We wanted to be able to start season three on a very clean slate.”

Season 2 wrapped up as neatly as you could hope for in a world with an alternate reality made of pure hate. But that askewed ending speaks of what’s to come. As the Duffer Brothers said,

“They’ve shut the door on the Mind Flayer, but not only is it still there in the Upside Down, it’s very much aware of the kids, and particularly Eleven. It had not encountered her and her powers until that final episode. Now, it knows that she’s out there. We wanted to end on a little bit of an ominous note on that level.”

It’s ominous, alright, knowing that the Mind Flayer will be hunting Eleven. And now have have to wait out another year for the third season with that image marinating in our brains.